Adjustable carriage for grain-harvesters.



No. 678,046 Patented July 9, MN. 6. VA SHELDEN.

AMHSTABLE GARBMEE F08 GRAIN HARVESTERS. (Wm m Inn. 12. 1901.)

(In hill.)

I ilk T3 4:;

l U y UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

CHARLES W. SHELDEN, OF CLEARFIELD, IOWA.

ADJUSTABLE CARRIAGE FOR GRAIN-HARVESTERS.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent NO. 678,046, dated July 9,1901. Application filed January 12, 1901. Serial No. 42,979. (No model.)

To 410% whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES W. SHELDEN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Clearfield, in the county of Taylor and State of Iowa, haveinvented a new and useful Adj ustable Carriage forGrain -Harvesters-, ofwhich the following is a specification. Heretofore harvesters forcutting grain from the ground have had means of adjusting the cuttingmechanism relative to the ground, and harvesters for cutting off theheads of grain have had a pole in rear of the machine for hitchinghorses thereto.

One object of my invention is to provide a carriage for harvestersadapted for hitching horses in the rear of the carriage and mountingoperative mechanism on the carriage in such a manner that it will not benecessary to first cut a swath around a field to make place for thetravel of horses hitched to a harvester.

Afurther object is to relieve the horses from the weight of a pole andto allow the carriage to be adjusted relative to the pole and the horseshitched thereto, so as to relieve the horses from weight bearing uponthem while traveling on level ground or on up and down grades.

A further obj ect is to provide means for advantageously adjusting thecarriage frame relative to the level surface or inclined grades of theground and the height at which the grain is to be cut off.

My invention consists in the construction, arrangement, and combinationof parts, as hereinafter set forth,poin ted out in my claims, andillustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a sideelevation of the carriage and means for adjusting the frame relative tothe ground. Fig. 2 is a top view, and Fig. 3 is a transverse sectionalview, on the line a: a; of Fig. 1, looking toward the carriage frame.

The letters A and A designate the two parallel side bars of thecarriage-frame, having.

right-angled extensions projected vertically at one end, and B, B andBare cross-bars fixed to the side bars by means of bolts or in anysuitable way.

B is an auxiliary frame fixed to the ele vated horizontal portions ofthe elbow-shaped extensions of the parallel side bars.

0 is a traction and driver Wheel fixed to rotatable axle 0 mounted inbearings formed in or fixed to the cross-barsB and B and D is atraction-wheel of smaller diameter,mo unted on an axle fixed to thecross-bar B, as required to retain the carriage level on even ground.

D is a platform fixed on the cross-bars B and B and D3 is an inclinedextension adapted for supporting a carrier for elevating and deliveringgrain when out off to fall upon a carrier when mounted on the platform.v

F is a hinge-iron fixed to the horizontal and elevated portion of theelbow-shaped extension of the rear side bar A F is a pole, and F and Fare mating members of hinge-irons fixed to the sides of the front end ofthe pole and pivotally connected with the fixed hinge iron F by means ofbolt or bar H, as shown in Fig. 2, or in any suitable Way as required tohinge the carriage-frame to the rear end of the pole.

J is a post fixed to the front end portion of the pole F and J is alever fulcrumed to the top of the post to extend and vibrate verticallyin the plane of the pole. The front end of the lever extends to thefront side-bar A of the carriage-frame and is connected therewith bymeans of a rod K in such a manner that the front end of thecarriage-frame can be readily raised and lowered and retained stationaryat different points of elevation at different times by means of thelever and the rack connected with the pole hinged to the rear of thecarriage-frame.

L is a rack fixed to the rear end portion of the hinged pole to projectvertically in such a manner that the free end of'the lever J can M is anarm fixed to the top of the wheelbearer, and N is a wheel mounted inbearings at the lower end of the bearer in such a man ner that thedirection of the machine can be governed as required to steer it whilein motion.

R is a doubletree or evener pivotally connected with the rear end of thepole, and S are singletrees connected with the ends of the evener, asrequired for hitching horses thereto and moving and operating themachine in advance of the horses in such a manner that the path for thehorses is clear of grain and only the stubble left on the ground totread upon.

Having thus described the purpose, construction, and operation ofmyinvention, its practical utility Will be understood by personsfamiliar with the art to which it pertains, and what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A carriage-frame for harvesters composed of two mating parallel sidebars, having right-angled extensions projected Vertically at one end ofeach bar and a plurality of cross-bars fixed to the side bars, atraction driver-Wheel mounted on the elevated end portion of the frame,a traction wheel of smaller diameter mounted at the other and lower endof the frame and a hinge-iron fixed to the. elevated end portion of therear side bar for hingin'g a pole thereto and a hinged pole, arrangedand combined to operate in the manner set forth for the purposes stated.

2. An adjustable carriage for harvesters comprising a frame composed ofparallel side bars having right-angled extensions projected verticallyat one end and a plurality of crossbars fixed to the side bars, atraction driverwheel fixed to an axle and the axle rotatably mounted onthe elevated end cross-bars and a traction-Wheel of smaller diametermounted at the other end of the frame, a platform fixed on top of theframe, a hinge-iron fixed to the elevated end of the rear side bar, apole pivotally connected with the fixed hinge-iron, a post fixed on thecentral portion of the pole, a rack fixed on the rear end portion of thepole, an evener pivoted to the rear end of the pole, a lever fulcrumedto the fixed post on the poleand extended to the front of thecarriage-frame to be adj ustably connect= ed with the fixed rack and arod pivotally connected with the front end of the lever and the frontside bar of the carriage-frame, arranged and combined to operate in themanner set forth.

CHARLES W. SIIELDEN. Witnesses:

T. S. LONG, J. W. MOFFETT.

